Face mask for athletic helmets



Dec. 10, 1963 Filed May 10, 1962 FIG. 1.

M. T. MARIETTA FACE MASK FOR ATHLETIC HELMETS 2 Sheets-Span 1' FIG. 2.

INV EN TOR MICHAEL T. MARIETTA ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1963 M. T. MARIETTA 3,113,318

FACE MASK FOR ATHLETIC HELMETS Filed May 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

INVENTOR MLC HAEL, 'T. MARIETTA BY @{W- ATTORNEY Unite States Patent Ofiice 3 ,1 13,3 18 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,318 FACE MASK FOR ATHLETIC HELMETS Michael T. Marietta, 5538 University Blvd., Dallas, Tex.

Filed May 10, 1962, Ser. No. 193,728 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-9) This invention relates to a face mask for use with athletic helmets, and is more particularly directed to a face mask which will minimize injuries to the wearer due to its special construction and manner of attachment to the helmet.

In many athletic helmets such as football helmets in common use today, the face masks attached thereto have bars which extend a considerable distance outwardly from the face of the wearer. In many cases, the bars stand off from the face four to five inches, making it convenient for an opposing player to grab them and throw the wearer of the mask off balance, and down to the ground. The ease with which face masks may he grabbed, plus the fact that shocks transmitted to the face mask frequently tilt the helmet rearwardly, causing the back edge thereof to strike the back of the neck of the wearer, are two factors which frequently cause severe and sometimes fatal injuries to the players.

My invention has as one of its objects the provision of a helmet attached face mask which may not be easily grasped by opposing players and which will resist being tilted rearwardly by the force of shocks against the mask due to the assembled relationship of the mask to the helmet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinged connection between the face mask and the helmet which will enable the wearer to put the helmet on and remove it with ease, and at the same time avoid injury to the ears and chin in so doing.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the distance of the face mask from the face of the wearer as required for safety and comfort and to suit the particular physical features of the face of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to secure the mask to the helmet ear flaps to prevent the latter from being forced against the face of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a face mask whose protective bars are so arranged that they provide maximum protection to the face of the wearer and also permit a chin pad to be attached on the inside of the mask.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel manner of attaching the straps to the chin pad so as to secure the latter to the face mask and the helmet.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a helmet with the face mask of my invention attached thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation with parts of the helmet broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, illustrating the position of one form of adjustable insert in relation to the side portion of the face mask and the edge of the earfiap.

FIGURE 4a is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the insert in an alternate position which tilts the mask outwardly and upwardly relative to the earilaps and the helmet.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the chin pad and attached straps.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation showing the face mask tilted upwardly to a position where the wearer may put on or take oif the helmet.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged detail view showing the innor surface of a portion of the face mask with another type of adjustable insert in position and also showing the leading edge of an earilap preparatory to assembly of the mask with the helmet.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 showing a leading edge of the earflap, the inner surface of a side portion of the helmet, and the insert in assembled position.

FIGURE 9 shows one type of the adjustable insert assembled with the face mask.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged detail view of the insert shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged detail view of the insert shown in FIGURE 9.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The face mask may be made of aluminum dipped in rubber or of nylon and is designated generally as A. The mask comprises oppositely disposed, identically formed side portions 10 having a plurality of face protecting bars 1222 integral therewith which are adapted to extend across the face opening of the helmet. The side members 10 are adapted to overlie the front edge B of the protective ear flap portions C of the helmet D when the mask and helmet are in assembled position and are provided on their inner surface with a shoulder 24. A recess 26 is formed in the inner surface of each of the side members in communication with the shoulder 24 to receive inserts 28 or 30. The choice of one type or the other of the inserts depends upon the amount of space required to insure a proper fit of the mask relative to the face of the wearer. At least one opening 32 is provided in each recess for a purpose which will later appear.

The inserts 28 and 30 each include an attaching body 34 provided with fastener receiving socket nuts 36, 36', said body adapted to fit into the recess 26 as best shown in FIGURES 4 and 4a. At the free end of the insert 28 and integral therewith, there is provided an elongated head 68 disposed at right angles to the body portion 34. One edge of the head 38 extends upwardly and angularly outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the body 34 to form a retaining flange 40 for engagement with the edge B of the ear flap C when the mask is in assembled relationship with the helmet. The body 34 of the insert 30 does not have a head portion comparable to head 38 of insert 28, but instead the body thereof has its free end bent angularly outwardly to form a retaining flange 42 for the edge B of ear flap C when this type of insert is employed as indicated above.

In order to assemble either type of insert with the face mask, it is first necessary to position them with the flanges 40 or 42 extending in the direction shown in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 with the body 34 resting within the recess 26.

The insert 28 serves as both a retaining member to prevent the edge B of the ear flap from being pushed against the wearers cheek and also provides means for selectively adjusting the distance of the face mask from the face of the wearer as may be required. For example, in FIG- URE 4, the mask is positioned close to the wearers face by connecting the fastener 44 with the nut 36. In FIG- URE 4a the mask is moved away (from the wearers face by sliding the body of the insert to the right and then connecting the fastener with the nut 36.

The insert 30 is intended primarily as a retaining member whereby flange 42 prevents displacement of the ear flaps. Either of the openings 36 or 36 may be employed as may be required by the shape of the ear flap. When using this type of insert, the shoulder 24 on the sides 10 of the mask forms an abutment surface for the edge B of the ear flap when the mask and helmet are assembled as shown in FIGURE 8.

The actual attachment of the (face mask to the helmet is accomplished by means of a hinge 50, which is secured to the outer surface of the forehead covering portion of the front edge of the helmet and also to the inner surface of the rear edge of the uppermost bar 12 of the face mask. Ordinary screw fasteners may be used as a means of attachment. With the mask securely hinged to the helmet in the manner and in the location just described, it may be easily pivoted upwardly to enable the wearer to pot on or remove the helmet and the mask.

The anchoring of the bottom portion of the mask to the helmet is accomplished by means of a chin pad 52 provided with straps 54 stitched to opposite sides thereof as indicated at 56 and shown in FIGURE 5. The chin pad 2 is placed in the mask behind the bars 16, 20, and 22, and the ends of the straps having the male snap fastener member 58 thereon are passed around the bar 22 and snapped into the female members 58. A conven tional buckle 60* having a female fastener on its inner face is properly adjusted so that said fastener element can be snapped into engagement with a male fastener member 62 (FIGURE 6) on the ear covering portion of the helmet. When the mask is thus attached to the helmet as shown in FIGURE 2, the leading edge B of the ear flap C abuts against the head 38 of the insert 28 and the flange 40 of the head will grip the inner surface of the ear flap C, preventing it from being displaced by a sharp blow delivered to the helmet or the face mask.

I claim:

1. In combination with an athletic helmet including protective ear flaps, a face mask (for attachment thereto, said mask comprising, oppositely disposed side portions, a plurality of spaced face-protecting bars integral therewith and extending across the face opening of said helmet, the uppermost of said bars disposed adjacent the forehead covering portion of said helmet, hinge means connecting said uppermost bar with the edge of the forehead covering portion of the helmet, releasable connecting means secured to the lowermost bar of said (face-protecting bars and also secured to said ear flaps, removable adjustment and retaining means carried by the inner surface of said side portions and engaging with the edge of said earflaps to permit spacing of the mask trom the face of the wearer and prevent dislocation of the ear flaps relative to said mask, said removable adjustment and retaining means comprising a removable insert including a body, fastener means securing said body to the side portions of said mask, and a flange at the free end of said body and spaced from the inner surface of the side portions of said mask.

2. A face mask according to claim 1, wherein, said insert includes an elongated head at the free end of said body and at right angles thereto, said flange extending upwardly and angularly outwardly from one edge of said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN ATHLETIC HELMET INCLUDING PROTECTIVE EAR FLAPS, A FACE MASK FOR ATTACHMENT THERETO, SAID MASK COMPRISING, OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE PORTIONS, A PLURALITY OF SPACED FACE-PROTECTING BARS INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE FACE OPENING OF SAID HELMET, THE UPPERMOST OF SAID BARS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE FOREHEAD COVERING PORTION OF SAID HELMET, HINGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID UPPERMOST BAR WITH THE EDGE OF THE FOREHEAD COVERING PORTION OF THE HELMET, RELEASABLE CONNECTING MEANS SECURED TO THE LOWERMOST BAR OF SAID FACE-PROTECTING BARS AND ALSO SECURED TO SAID EAR FLAPS, REMOVABLE ADJUSTMENT AND RETAINING MEANS CARRIED BY THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS AND ENGAGING WITH THE EDGE OF SAID EARFLAPS TO PERMIT SPACING OF THE MASK FROM THE FACE OF THE WEARER AND PREVENT DISLOCATION OF THE EAR FLAPS RELATIVE TO SAID MASK, SAID REMOVABLE ADJUSTMENT AND RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A REMOVABLE INSERT INCLUDING A BODY, FASTENER MEANS SECURING SAID BODY TO THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID MASK, AND A FLANGE AT THE FREE END OF SAID BODY AND SPACED FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID MASK. 